Lance's 2021 Week 5 Recap and Week 6 Waiver Priorities
RECAP
-The Pats and Vikings both had what should have been easily won matchups. Instead they both had to win on end of game field goals. Wins are wins and for two teams that should be fighting for playoff spots, these wins matter, but they did not inspire confidence.
-This was the Sam Darnold we’ve seen since he entered the league. Now we get to see if the first four games were a fluke due to him being in a new system that teams didn’t have enough film of him playing in yet. Or, if this was a one off and he goes back to the MVP-like level he was playing at before.
-Well, Heinicke threw for under 50% completion rate and tossed two picks. It was a feat I expected given the Saints defensive abilities and certain bad habits I saw from him against the Falcons. Now that he has on tape what the downside of playing in that manner looks like, perhaps he can figure out the middle ground between just handing the ball off, and chucking it up and crossing his fingers.
-Was the Jags’ play due to the off-field distraction that their Head Coach caused? Personally, I’d say yes considering the Titans defense has been a big pushover to open the year and yet the Jags posted just 19 points.
-Watching the end of the Bengals-Packers game, all I could do was laugh. Of course, that was thanks to the Vikings having already won their game on a last second field goal. And as a Vikings fan, I was rooting for the Bengals, so watching the Packers win was a little disappointing. But I will say, good for LaFleur keeping confidence in Crosby, and good for Crosby bouncing back after three missed game winning attempts in a row.
-In my predictions post I said that I would switch to Denver if Bridgewater started. Fortunately, by the time I left for church nothing official had been decided on what would happen with him, so I elected to stick with Pitt. Also worth noting, man was I wrong about sitting Najee Harris, he finally looked the part on the ground too. He’s got a bright future.
-Looks like Vegas is sliding into their late season dive into the abyss early this year! That was an incredibly bad performance, well done.
-The Browns-Chargers game was one for the ages. So much excitement piled into one game! Outside of Beckham, there really wasn’t an offensive player in this game that didn’t look good. And with all due respect to Herbert, who had a really great game, the most impressive player was Mayfield. He did what Mahomes, Prescott and Carr failed to do, he threw for over 300 yards and didn’t toss a pick. He’s a streaky player, but it was a promising performance against one of the top pass defenses in the league.
-Trey Lance had some nice plays against the Cards, but I think he further proved that he’s not ready yet. Depending on how the bye week practices go, and Garoppolo’s health, San Fran still looks like they’d be best served by going back to Jimmy G for the time being, and letting Lance do some more learning. This isn’t about trying to win games immediately, as much as some people might think it is, it’s about not hurting the development of your young passer.
-I know I’m beating a dead horse by bringing up the Chiefs defense, but if this week was any inclination, they’re no longer on top of the AFC. The offense can only do so much, and if they’re playing a defense that can actually perform then the Chiefs aren’t going to win. It’s as simple as that.
-Lots of late game heroics and crazy comebacks are a good way to fortify a team and prepare them for the weight of the postseason. For that very reason, Baltimore could be a dangerous team come the playoffs.
FANTASY WAIVER WIRE TARGETS
QB: Tua Tagovailoa/Jacoby Brissett (Miami)
Strictly from a week 6 streaming option you should target whichever Miami QB gets the start. Jacksonville can be beat in the secondary, especially if the Dolphins let Waddle take off downfield. There’s some hope that Tua will return this week, but it’s not a guarantee, so keep an eye on the situation and make your move accordingly.
RB: Devontae Booker (NY Giants)
Barkley’s out again, and Booker took almost all of the touches out of the backfield after the injury. He’s worth adding for as long as Barkley remains out.
WR: Amon-Ra St. Brown (Detroit)
Between Hockenson being banged up and Cephus now hurt, Detroit’s going to have to start leaning on the rookie even more than they already have (16 targets total in the last two weeks). He fits that high-PPR value at Receiver that Goff has typically accommodated in his career.
TE: David Njoku (Cleveland)
He’s worth a bench stash after this performance because the way I see it one of two things needs to happen now: One, Cleveland starts using him as a legit TE1 because he is the most explosive option they have at the position. Or two, Cleveland just showcased him so they can make a move at the trade deadline, in which case he’ll be going to someone who will use him.
K: Mason Crosby (Green Bay)
He did just go 4 for 7, but the last time he had a bad game like that was 2018 when he went 1 for 5 against Detroit, the next week he hit all four of his attempts. Chicago is currently top ten in points allowed to Kickers in fantasy football, which makes this the recipe for a bounce back game.
D: Miami Dolphins
Miami’s defense last year and to start this season has really only been able to make things happen in fantasy football when they’ve been able to create turnovers. Trevor Lawrence has been a lot better in recent weeks, but he’s still a rookie and has shown a propensity for throwing picks.
